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My shopping is done.  I’ve got no more baking to do.  And save one, all of the great holiday parties are wonderful memories.

But I still have this stack of gifts to wrap.

I figure there are two kinds of people in the world: those who painstakingly dress each gift with crisp paper and color-coordinated bows; and those who haphazardly slap on some paper and call it a day.  I’m not so precise about most things, but you can put me in the first camp as far as gift wrapping goes.

Still, I’m mighty lazy.  I don’t measure out paper or use double-sided tape.  Instead I use a little bit of geometry to get my gifts just right.  It’s not hard at all.

The trick to a perfectly wrapped gift is to have just enough — not too much and not too little — paper to cover the package.  And to do that, use a box, if the item is oddly shaped.

Now consider the width of the box.  Line the box up on one end of the paper, like this:

And then turn the box up on the left edge, over onto the other large side and up again on the last edge, like this:

You want to have some left over paper on the left.  This will overlap so that there’s no gap in the seam.

Now you can look at the length of the package.  This is where things get a little tricky.  You need a little more than half the height of the package.  (I just eyeball it, but you can be more precise, if you want.)  You’re ready to cut.

So your paper is cut.  (Did you notice that throughout that easy process, you thought about the width, length and height of the box?  That’s the geometry at work here, folks.)  It’s time to start wrapping.  Turn the box upside down onto the paper.  This way, the seam will be on the bottom of the box.

Wrap one of the long sides of the paper over the box and secure with tape.

Do the same with the other side, making sure that the paper is tightly wrapped around the box.

Now it’s time to address the sides of the gift.  Fold down the top paper, so that it’s flush against the box.  If you’ve eyeballed your measurement correctly, the paper won’t be too long or two short.  Then fold in each side of the paper, making little angles.  Crease each one with your fingernail.  Then fold the last flap up, so that it looks like an envelope.  Use tape to secure that flap.

The other side is much easier, because now you can put the box up on the side you just wrapped.

Once everything is folded and taped up, use your fingernail to make sharp creases along each of the edges of the box.  Add a bow — I like using wired bows made of fabric, because they’re easy to manage, and I can reuse them again next year.  Ta-da!  The perfect gift!

Do you have a gift-wrapping technique to share?  If so, tell us in the comments section.

Looking for a last-minute gift for your budding Eistein?  You’ve come to the right place.

I’m not about to suggest that kids love “educational toys.”  But one thing is for sure — kids learn best when they’re having fun.

I’ve gathered a few of my most favorite gift ideas for kids–whether they like math or not.  The best part is that these gifts for sale at your local Target, bookstore or toy store, for not much cash.

Games

SET is a sneaky — and honestly fun — way for kids to learn and practice logic and set theory.  The object of the game is notice similarities in the cards, each of which has a variety of shapes that differ in number, shape, color and shading.  I promise, this is a cool way to spend some time with your kids.  (Ages 6 and up)

Yahtzee?  Yep.  There’s quite a bit of math involved, in fact.  Developing a good strategy requires a solid understanding of probability.  And being able to quickly spot a full-house, three-of-a-kind or four-of-a-kind involves spacial understanding.  Then there’s adding up the scores to find totals.  See?  Math is all over this game. (Ages 8 and up)

Toys

Kids (and grownups) can create complex and simple mazes and runs in a variety of different marble run toys, some with transparent tubes and others with brightly colored pieces.  Where’s the math?  First off, kids are playing with their spacial abilities, noticing where the marble goes when the track positions are changed.  Then there’s the experience of trial and error — which goes hand in hand with math. (4 years and up)

For the tiny set, you can’t go wrong with shapes.  Toys like shape sorters help toddlers and preschoolers learn their shapes.  You can extend the learning by encouraging other ways of sorting — like colors.  (15 months to 5 years)

Books

David Schwartz writes really wonderful math and science books that don’t smack kids over the head with their educational focus.  How Much Is a Million is one of my favorites.  Illustrated by Steven Kellog, the book demonstrates how much a million is.  (Grownups will probably learn something from this one, too!) (Ages 3 and up)

There’s no sneakier way to tap into a kid’s curiosity about math than with The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster.  This classic children’s novel takes readers on a mythical journey of Milo and his “watchdog,” Tock.  The book touches on a variety of mathematic topics — from infinity to three-dimensional shapes.  Bonus: there’s an equal emphasis on language, including idioms and puns.  It’s bound to be a homerun for any young reader.  Oh, and 2011 is the 50th anniversary of this classic. (Ages 10 and up)

Do you have any great gift ideas for kids?  Share them in the comments section!